Team Cultural Samvaad
Editor’s Note: At Cultural Samvaad, our team believes that the true purport of a festival like Diwali is to bring light to the lives of many around us. As part of our Diwali special series – This Diwali, Buy Local, we decided to feature five organisations in Mumbai that are working relentlessly to illuminate the lives of special individuals and their families. We hope to create awareness about the cause at large and to also give our readers an opportunity to reach out to these institutions in case they would like to support them or buy their products. Please note that this is not an advertorial and we have relied solely on the information provided by these organisations. We are extremely grateful to them for sharing their stories with us.
A.K. Munshi Yojana – Let’s serve together and see everyone bloom with us
A.K. Munshi Yojana is an NGO based in Mumbai and has been around for 60 years. It was founded by late. Smt. Sarlaben Sheth in the memory of her mother Smt. A.K. Munshi. The organisation works on the welfare of special children and adults from the weaker and under-privileged sections of society through its various centres. All their services are either free of charge or come with nominal charges.
Special education is imparted to students from 6 to 18 years of age, in Gujarati, Marathi, and Hindi with customised Individual Educational Plans (IEP) as per their ability and according to their multi-lingual background. After they attain 18 years of age, the beneficiaries are provided vocational training in various crafts.
The handmade products are sold to individuals and corporates. The earnings are used to give monthly stipend and cash incentives to the students. During Diwali, the students make beautiful diyas, rangolis, torans and gift articles which are in great demand during the season. These products light up the homes of both the buyers and the special people who make them with love and care.
A.K. Munshi Yojana continues to touch the lives of many. To know more about A.K Munshi Yojana, please visit – http://akmunshiyojana.org/
Jai Vakeel Foundation – Empathy, Excellence, Integrity and Teamwork
In 1944, Mr. & Mrs. Hormusjee Vakeel’s had a dream. They wanted to provide their child Dina, who was born with Down’s Syndrome, a place to thrive and to be happy in. This dream compelled them to start Jai Vakeel School.
The journey started from the Vakeels’ home. Today, Jai Vakeel Foundation has grown a two-acre campus in Sewri, Mumbai, and two rural branches in Pune and Nashik. Over the past 75 years the school has touched the lives of lakhs of children and their families.
Every year, the Foundation serves 3,000 children, adolescents and adults between the ages of 4 – 50. The beneficiaries are intellectually disabled and hail from the underprivileged sections of society. Their services are divided into four broad categories – healthcare, education, skill development and support services. They also provide complete need-based medical and therapeutic intervention to children and adults.
Students of their vocational training courses have an option to continue in their large and sheltered workshop which has 200+ product offerings which find their way to diverse clients including large corporates.
During Festivals like Diwali they make earthen lights, floral fusion torans, candles and hampers which are sold through various channels. These products not only showcase the artistic ability of the students but also contribute to the sustainability of the vocational training centre and sheltered workshop.
To know more about Jai Vakeel Foundation, please visit – https://jaivakeel.org
Kshitij – New Horizon
Kshitij is a Mumbai based NGO started in 1998 by a group of 4 mothers who had developmentally challenged children. Their aim was simple – to create a sheltered environment for young adults where they could receive vocational training, be gainfully employed and slowly but surely improve their faculties. Today, they run sheltered workspaces that provide a lifelong learn and earn environment for these adults and a platform for families to bond.
Kshitij is today second home for 24 young adults and their families. These young adults create a large variety of hand-crafted gift items from natural and eco-friendly materials such as cotton, jute, wood, clay and bark. Diwali is a time when their workspace is buzzing with activity as the gifting season is at its peak. The wards earn a stipend, improve their life skills and eventually become independent as demonstrated by some of their heartwarming success stories.
Radhika, a young girl who had suffered from cognitive damage has been associated with Kshitij since 2000. Today, she is not only self-reliant but also has won medals at the Special Olympics! Vishal who suffers from epilepsy today counts undertaking independent train journeys in Mumbai as his biggest success. The stories go on and so does their good work.
To know more about Kshitij, please visit – http://www.kshitij-mumbai.org/
Advitya – Unique
Fouded by Anjali in August 2000, Advitya is an NGO registered in India. It is a creative centre for specially gifted adults operating out of a building in Santa Cruz, Mumbai. It aims to enhance the lives of people with different abilities by leveraging their individual skills, building confidence in them through vocational training in handicrafts and odd jobs, providing their families with a robust support system and creating awareness about the cause.
Today, Advitya has 40 students who are all adults and earn a monthly stipend which empowers them. They handcraft multiple craft items which can be used for home décor. During Diwali, they create exquisitely decorated diyas, torans, stationery items and bags. These products find their way to multiple homes and offices.
To know more about Advitya’s efforts, please visit – http://www.advitya.com/
Om Creations Trust – Redefining the Capabilities of the Developmentally Challenged
Om Creations Trust was formed in 1991 as a non-profit training project for holistic and educational rehabilitation of mentally challenged women between 20-60 years. It operates in Mahalaxmi, Mumbai and supports over 60 women who create more than 150 lifestyle and food offerings.
Conceived and maintained by a special educator, the organisation’s mission is to showcase and utilise the creativity of developmentally challenged women in making utilitarian products with the aid of modern methodologies and scientific management, thus, allowing them to be economically independent and live with dignity.
For Diwali and the festive season they handcraft a variety of beautiful Diyas, torans, rangolis, gift hampers, etc. which are then sold to individual and corporate houses. The revenues are used for sustaining their efforts and for paying a monthly stipend to the women.
One of their beneficiaries is the 44-year old, Sushma Bhagat, who has Down’s Syndrome. Two years ago, her father passed away. Sushma and her mother had nothing but a measly pension to live on. Sushma joined Om Creations in distress and today she has transformed into the person who provides for the family with her handsome stipend from Om Creations.
To know more about Om Creations Trust, you can visit http://omcreationstrust.org/
Add comment